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The Final Installment of the Batman Trilogy Premieres in New York

Last night in Gotham City marked the end of one of the most epic waits in history: the unveiling of the highly anticipated final installment of **Christopher Nolan’**s Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises. Amid a flurry of flashbulbs, Marion Cotillard, Anne Hathaway, Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt walked the red carpet at AMC Lincoln Square’s world premiere in Manhattan. For the third and last time, Bale takes on the role of Bruce Wayne and his alter ego, Batman, while Cotillard, _Vogue’_s August issue cover star, makes her debut as Miranda Tate, an executive at Wayne Enterprises who seeks to lure the superhero-in-mourning out of his Batcave.

“I’d never worked with the same director twice, so I was looking forward to reuniting with Christopher Nolan and the rest of his film family,” explained Cotillard in a white Christian Dior dress. “When filming Inception, I learned what an amazing director Chris is for actors, and I couldn't wait to see him work with the super-gifted actors on this project. He has a very special relationship with all of them.” Nolan famously pushed back filming of Cotillard's character's scenes just to accommodate her schedule—the French actress gave birth to her first child right around the time The Dark Knight Rises shooting began.

After watching massive explosions ricochet across Gotham for the majority of the movie, upon exiting the theater, more than a few filmgoers were unnerved to walk outside to the sound of loud, real-world blasts. Soon enough, word spread that the Philharmonic had performed earlier in Central Park, followed by uncannily timed fireworks. Thus reassured, everyone headed to the after-party at the main branch of the New York Public Library, which was lit up with blue lights and a red bat projected above the entrance. There (and even later into the night, at No.8), the festive mood was quickly revived, and talk turned from the noise of real life to the action on the screen. Exulted Pharrell Williams: “Batman is a 20 out of 10!”